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The Boston Bruins are eyeing some major offseason moves this summer. Although they somewhat surprisingly qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Boston was bounced out in the first round. The team’s offense sputtered in the latter stages of the opening round against the Buffalo Sabres. However, the Bruins allowed 20 goals in the six games, including an embarrassing 6-1 defeat in game four.
The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa is now reporting that Boston is targeting Rasmus Andersson and Darren Raddysh to help fix the problem. NHL insider Chris Johnston recently placed the two blueliners atop his 2026 free agent list. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney previously attempted to acquire Andersson in January. Nevertheless, the right-handed blueliner ultimately landed with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
In the end, general manager Don Sweeney could not grab a star defenseman before the March 6 trade deadline. As a result, the Bruins entered the recent playoffs with Andrew Peeke, Henri Jokiharju, and Mason Lohrei behind star Charlie McAvoy on the right side of defense. This depth, or lack thereof, likely will not cut it heading towards the 2026-27 season. Sweeney will be looking to strengthen the position this summer.
While Boston missed out on Andersson a few months ago, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. The star was widely expected to sign an extension with Vegas, but this has not happened yet. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun has, however, claimed that an agreement between the sides is still likely.
GettyDarren Raddysh will be the most likely summer target of the Boston Bruins.
According to Shinzawa, missing out on Andersson and Raddysh would be disastrous for the Boston Bruins. Raddysh enjoyed a breakout 2025-26 campaign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The dynamic defenseman recorded 70 points (nearly double his previous career high) in 73 games with the club. As a result, he is expected to receive a substantial pay raise compared to his $975K salary this season.
Because the 2026 NHL free agency class is so thin, both of these stars will be highly coveted this summer. If the Golden Knights do eventually re-sign Andersson, it will put even more pressure on Boston to land Raddysh. Nevertheless, several other top teams will also be looking to acquire the top free agent of the offseason.
A potential bidding war for either player could be bad news for the Bruins. According to Puckpedia.com, Boston has about $16 million in projected cap space heading towards the 2026-27 campaign. Because of their multiple needs, they could look to offload a player (like Lohrei) to free up more funds.
If the Boston Bruins were to miss out on both Andersson and Raddysh, they would have to turn to the trade market. Bleacher Report recently included several right-handed defensemen in their updated trade board. Simon Nemec, Dougie Hamilton, and Braden Schneider were all specifically named.
Of the trio, Nemec would likely be the most attractive option for the Bruins. The former second overall draft pick posted decent numbers with the struggling New Jersey Devils in 2025-26. At 22, he would also align with Sweeney’s insistence on avoiding targeting aging players.
Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore
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